Braving the wind and cold Penticton came out to support athletes, volunteers and community members at the Torchlighting Ceremony for the Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games.
The lighting of the torch represents the start of the 100-day countdown to the Games which start in February 2016.
The torch was lit by BC Games committee president Bill Bidlake, Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and Penticton MLA Dan Ashton.
Spectators were treated to a variety of local entertainment, including Gypsy and the Rose Band, Beamer Wigley, Outma Sqilx’W Cultural School Children’s Choir, Queen’s Park Choir, Keremeos Drummers, Fiddlekids with Blakey Irish Dancers, Black Widow Rope Spinners and more.
This will be the fourth time Penticton has hosted the BC Games. The city was the host of the inaugural BC Summer Games in 1978, the 1990 BC Winter Games and the 1995 BC Summer Games.